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Saturday, 10 May 2014

Just the run I needed

It was a tumultuous night. Our cats did
everything in their power to keep us awake, short of actually clawing
our eyes out (because how would we then see they had no food left in
their bowl and know to feed them?). They visited the litter box (with
accompanying scratching sounds) at least four times. They jumped on
and off the bed. They crawled under the bed and sharpened their nails
on the mattress. They wrestled and squealed angrily right by our
bedroom door. If they'd known how to operate the remote control, I'm
sure they would have started the CD-player and played some shitty
music at full volume all night. Good thing they lack opposable thumbs,
or else they might have carried a bucket of ice-cold water to the
bedroom and emptied it on our heads.

I finally woke up just after 7 to the
sound of rain. I admit it. I didn't want to leave my bed just then.

It didn't get any better when I looked
out the window through half-open eyes a few minutes later, a cup of steaming coffee in my
hand. The sky was grey and the trees were swaying with the wind. The
thermometer informed me sadistically that it was only 5 degrees,
which no doubt meant that the perceived temperature in the wind would
be even lower. It was so nice and warm inside.

Despite my misgivings, I ran up to the
hockey arena to meet the others from AIK. We then headed out
eastwards, on soft forest roads surrounded by pine and fir trees. No
soul in sight except us and a couple of horses we came across. Well,
and their riders, of course.

Oh yeah, we had three dogs with us too. Cool dog Anja was one of them.

I knew it was going to be a longer run
but I didn't know just how long it was going to be. When we got back
to the hockey arena, I did some quick calculations and was very happy
indeed with what I came up with. The run home would bring me to a
total of 30 km for the second time this spring.

Brand new Kinvaras. Before the run...

...and after. Not dirty enough,, but way too wet.

It was just the run that I needed. My
body needed the kilometres. My mind needed the good company and
beautiful environment, not to mention the meditation-like benefits of
the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other for three
hours. Most of all, it was good for my confidence. This is what I
like doing best, and it's great to know that I can do it.